ECU Gets Unusual Walk-Off Victory

Jon Jansen

03/18/2016

East Carolina won on an unusual walk-off to get a 4-3 victory over Monmouth in Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Tied at three in the ninth, Parker Lamm and Charlie Yorgen reached safely to begin the inning. Travis Watkins walked to the plate with Lamm on third. Monmouth (6-10) attempted to intentionally walked Watkins and the second pitch got past the catcher. Lamm scored and East Carolina (12-6) got a 4-3 victory to avoid a four game losing streak.

“I was standing on third and I didn’t realize he was getting ready to pitch. Chuck and my teammates were yelling over there ‘Parker be ready.’ He’s doing the intentional walk and throws the first one down and I said ok and looked for it again. So I was anticipating the next one,” said Lamm

Evan Kruczynski and the Pirates got off to a rough start. Monmouth got four straight hits off Kruczynski in the first inning and got on the board early. The Pirates starter then settled in and allowed only two runs in seven innings.

Joe Ingle finished the game for the Pirates. Coming in the eighth inning, Ingle let up a run which gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead. After tying the game in the third, Ingle got out of the jam in the ninth to give the Pirates a chance to close the game.

It took the Pirates five innings to get a runner across home plate. Yorgen’s sacrifice bunt scored Lamm and cut Monmouth’s lead down to one. After going down by two in the eighth, ECU responded with a two-run inning. Turn Brown’s single brought home Kendall Ford and Eric Tyler to tie the game at three.

“I was just looking for a fastball,” said Brown. “In the at-bat before he was throwing a lot of changeups and I was looking for a fastball up and gave it to me.”

Lamm’s single in the ninth was his second hit of the game. Yorgen also had two hits in the game. Brown’s single in the eighth was his first and only hit of the game.

“That’s what baseball is all about,” said Lamm. “You never quit, you’re always in the game. Coach always teaches us, we are the toughest team in the country. And that’s the reason we do what we do.”